Floorstanding Speaker JBL Studio 180

Lined with rock, pop, or rap the JBL, Studio 180 (600 euros the pair) sounds very lively and fresh.

Floorstanding speaker JBL Studio 180

Data sheet

The Americans hide their conventional rectangular housing behind a jagged mask. Small cause, big effect: The JBL Studio 180 stands out and polarized the tastes. At least from a distance. Who is the faceplate made of hollow plastic a grab test on this side of the pond or lift up the speaker tends to the frown. The form unites to let fans and critics also running Studio 180 possible without the two-piece front cover. Last but not least is the keeping bass, which undermines the optical balance.

The membrane of the 16.5-cm driver is a plastic that is used for a long time in the home of JBL PolyPlas, like the 10-cm midrange cone. The measured by 2.5 centimeters tweeter of the three-way bass reflex speaker consists of CMMD, a metal-ceramic mix. To increase the efficiency of the developers of the American company switched in a wave guide Horn him.

Moment of truth

Lined with rock, pop, or rap, the JBL from the stand had the full attention. The Studio 180 sounded very vibrant and fresh. Kanye West with his current hit “All of the lights” from the album “dark twisted fantasy” very convincing came over. The dynamic shadings were shown very convincingly. The two pillars seemed effortlessly with any kind of party program to cope.

Also the voices of Eminem and Rhianna in the Duet ‘Love The Way You Lie’ came over clearly articulated and clean. The transparency was as well as the size of the figure. Alone the bass was slightly behind the sparkling medium-treble Department. It was missing him on although contour and attack, but he was also not too thick.

Classical music with consequences

The lively dynamics was also at the “Cologne concert” of Keith Jarrett very well. This unique recording is tonally not very meaningful, but attack and good resolution they always brings to the fore. So you heard clearly above all the moaning and humming of the gifted pianist. As far as the JBL knew quite pleasing.

Would the hearing test at this point to end the Studio 180 would have done better a whole lot. But even a foray into the world of classical music as well as more complex, of course recorded vocal music was. And because their lack of balance caused a certain disillusionment in the midrange: was thinned and expressionless and gave a touch of cool voices.

When the chorus of Beethoven’s 9 Symphony (LSO Live, Haitnik) the contours of individual votes were together on a film, it has treated with blur. The focus was missing, and everything seemed a bit artificial. Finally, the bass in the Orchestra pass gene appeared somewhat thin. For classical music fans, the quite charming in the pop field speaker is thus very limited to recommend.